The Stick
Man

WHERE TO FIND
US

Follow the dotted lines on
the map, either by car down Cleveland Way or on
foot from the Market Place.

Post code for Sat Nav users
is YO62 5AH

Please be aware that some
Sat Navs will direct you into the Long Stay car
park and tell you that you have arrived - go past
the car parks and drive towards the Walled Garden
if you wish to use our private car park for a short
time.

We are located in the
first craft workshop behind Helmsley Castle. Follow
signs to "The Walled Garden" from the Car Park or
follow the directions using the map above and
photographs below.

Shop
visiting times

We
are basically an ONLINE BUSINESS so we are not open
to the public all day.

We need
to be able to get on and work without constant
interruption from visitors or phone callers - so
there will be times when we're in but the doors
are closed. We're often out in the woods during
daylight or may have gone to one of the local
timber mills for supplies.

Please
look at the opening days/times below and if you
want to make sure then check first by
emailif
you want to visit - or you may find us closed! Even
if we are in, we will be busy making sticks and/or
packing orders - and there's not enough room inside
our small workshop for visitors while we are
packing. If you turn up without an appointment
there's a chance that we'll be open - but we can't
guarantee set shop hours.PLEASE
don't ask if I'll be in weeks in advance of a visit
- I simply can't know
that!
Days when we'll be definitely closed will be noted
below and updated if anything
changes.

The shop
answerphone will normally have a message telling
you what days we'll be open that week but
right now you MUST make an appointment as we're so
busy. Shop number is 01439
771450
but we can't answer if we're busy with customers or
have machinery running. Having said all that -
we'll definately answer if we
can!

NO
PHONE ORDERS DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER - ONLINE
ORDERS ONLY

Please
don't phone unless it's really urgent, ESPECIALLY
NOVEMBER &
DECEMBER
- we are so busy that we can't always answer so
please place orders online or make enquiries by
email
or text please (07901 717853) as it stops us
working to answer the phone. I CAN NOT give
practical instructions on how to make sticks over
the phone - so please don't ask. Most of the
enquiries made by phone are already answered on our
FAQ
page
anyway.

WE DON'T
ANSWER INTERNATIONAL CALLS WITHOUT PRIOR
ARRANGEMENT BY EMAIL, SORRY! The vast majority of
foreign calls simply waste our time trying to SELL
us things we don't want!

CLOSED
SUNDAYS. MONDAYS AND SATURDAY
AFTERNOONS.

Tuesday
to Friday we are now open to the public 1.30
- 3.00 (may be open later).

Saturdays
normally open 10 - 12

Xmas
opening:

As
above until Xmas day (I'll open 10 - 12 Xmas Eve)
then the shop will be closed until January
9th

If you are on foot you can
walk through the gap to the right of The Royal Oak
pub, cross the road and past the Castlegate Cafe.
Head towards the castle and see the ruins in front
of you (this is probably the most photographed bit
of Helmsley) then go along the path to the right
and past the new Castle entrance and the Long Stay
car park. From the car park, follow the signs for
the Walled Garden.

This map shows lots of
other places in Helmsley that you might like to
visit!

As you enter the picnic
area look to your left and you get this stunning
view of what remains of the castle keep. It was
blown apart by the Parliamentarian army after the
siege of the castle during the English Civil War.
It was packed with gunpowder and destroyed so it
could never be used as a fortress again - it
certainly worked!
If you park in the Cleveland Way car park you'll
see the castle anyway so just follow signs for the
Walled Garden and Craft Workshops. It will take you
about 7 minutes to walk from the car park in the
town square, or two to three minutes from the Long
Stay car park off Cleveland Way.

Cleveland Way as you get to the car parks on the
left - go straight on down the stone track to the
Walled Garden and The Stick Man

By car from Teesside
turn right into Cleveland Way, opposite the
Feversham Arms, before you reach the Market
Place.

From York/Thirsk at
the top of the Market Place turn left in front of
the Black Swan Hotel then take a right by the
church. Turn left opposite the Feversham Arms into
Cleveland Way.

From Pickering go
straight across at the mini roundabout , past the
Market Place (on your left) and turn right by the
church, then left into Cleveland Way.

You pass the Ryeburn
Icecream Parlour (well worth a visit!!) on your
right. Cleveland Way becomes a stone track in front
of you - the public car parks are on your left. You
will have to "Pay and Display" in here and walk a
short distance to my shop.

If you are coming to
the shop to buy or collect from us then you can
drive down the stone track and park outside the
shop for a short period!

Disabled drivers and those
who find it difficult to walk far (or have items to
collect) may use the private car park outside my
shop free of charge for short periods -
access is down the stone track at the public car
park entrance. Follow the stone track straight
ahead. If you go left you will end up in the
overflow car park and have to pay!

You pass this huge stone
with an acorn carved on it - this is the start of
the Cleveland Way long distance footpath. You would
be amazed at how many walkers manage to miss this
thing and end up in my shop to ask for directions.
My usual reply is "If you can't find the start -
how on earth will you find the finish!"

The track is popular with
local dog walkers as well as ramblers - so drive
slowly!

After about 100 metres you
come to a left fork sign posted for the Walled
Garden - follow the sign or you will end up in a
dead end and have a lot of reversing to
do!

Here is the entrance to the
shop - The Stick Man is the first shop you'll see -
entrance on the left. The Walled Garden entrance is
50 yards to the right.

Disabled parking is
available here and in the larger car park at the
Walled Garden itself. You don't have to be disabled
to park here if you are coming to collect things
from the shop or attending a class. In summer,
parking is often difficult during the middle of the
day.

Some of the sticks on
display in the shop. There are usually between 50
and 100 at any one time - though this does vary.
One year there were only seven - yes seven - left
by Christmas Eve!

Some more sticks on display
in the shop.
I offer one day stick-making
classes from
£130 per person (maximum three people per
class). Make a complete stick in a day and take it
home with you. All tools and materials are
supplied, as is lunch and refreshments. No
experience is needed.

Accommodation in Helmsley
is often limited so book early!

More sticks and some of the
DIY materials.

Photo's on the shop
wall showing just a few of the sticks made in
previous years with more DIY materials and some
interesting reading.

The Stick Man on his stall
at a country show.

We're not
doing any shows this year, just concentrating on
the website and shop sales.

If you want a stall like
this I got mine from Nichol
Industries and I
can recommend them for their products and
after-sales services.